NE Swale Art Project, June 5 & 12 (Saskatoon)
Join Finding City Community Arts Inc. for a two-day participatory art project in Saskatoon’s Northeast Swale. June 5 will be spent collecting materials and taking photographs at the Swale. On June 12, participants will learn how to make relief prints using the materials they’ve collected.

Rain Barrel Workshop, June 8 (Saskatoon)
Shannon Dyck, City of Saskatoon, will show you how to make your own low-cost rain barrel at 6 pm, June 8, at the Garden Patch. You’ll have soft water for your plants, save money, and protect the river.

Urban Canoe Camping for Beginners, June/Jul/Aug (Saskatoon)
CanoeSki Discovery offers an urban canoe camping program close to Saskatoon providing beginners with instruction on managing a self-supported, wilderness-style canoe trip close to home. Dates are June 18-19, July 30-31, Aug 27-28.

Saskatoon Pride Festival is going GREEN! There will be water bottle refill and waste recycling stations and all power will be supplied by Bullfrog Power/Biofuel. They're banning individual-serve condiments and styrofoam containers and reducing printing.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Photographer’s Guide to Saskatchewan
Robin and Arlene Karpan have just released their latest book, Photographer’s Guide To Saskatchewan. It includes the couple’s favourite photogenic haunts throughout the province as well as how-to details and 250 images.

“It promises to be an amazing exhibit, with interactive stations and informational displays. Poulin [Ray Poulin, the museum’s curator of zoology] sees it as a chance to get away from the sensationalism and macho posturing that often surrounds these reptiles. Instead of circus-sideshow shenanigans, museum visitors will learn about these misunderstood creatures through captive specimens and close-up photography that reveals an under-appreciated beauty.”

Urban Wonders
Meewasin Resource Management staff have discovered a Sharp-tailed Grouse lek on the Northeast Swale. A lek is the species’ ritual mating dancing grounds. The males dance in the centre of the lek while the females watch from the outside. The males puff out their tails, open their wings, and stomp the ground to attract the females: it’s an impressive sight. Meewasin staff have counted up to 26 males on the lek and a total of 40 birds in the area.

Sharp-tailed Grouse are an endangered species in Canada. Let’s hope that Meewasin Valley Authority and the City of Saskatoon do all in their power to protect the birds and their lek from encroaching urban development.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

May 28 @ 1-2 pm – Do your kids know how to avoid getting lost in the woods? Saskatoon Search and Rescue will teach kids K-5 how to Hug-a-Tree and Survive. (A similar program is being offered on May 25 @ 7-8 pm.)

May 29 @ 9:30-11:30 am – Off limits! But not today. Take a walk among the wildflowers on the Kernen Prairie.

Starry Skies May 25 @ 7:30-8:30 pm – Join Elder Wilfred Buck, Manitoba First Nations, and gain a new appreciation for the energy ablaze in the night sky.

May 25 @ 9-11 pm – Gaze at the night sky through one of 7 telescopes provided by members of the Royal Astronomical Society.

May 25 @ 9-10:30 pm – Listen for the calls of the night birds at the Northeast Swale.

Creepy Crawlies May 25 @ 5:30-6:30 pm – Jeff Boone, City of Saskatoon entomologist, will help you identify the insects, birds, and mammals that may be living in your backyard.

Tuesday, 17 May 2016

Upcoming EventsFair Trade: What’s In It For Me, May 19 (Saskatoon)
Enjoy a glass of fair trade wine and tasty local food while listening to presentations on fair trade from Sean McHugh (Canadian Fair Trade Network), George Fouffas (Consumer Services, U of S), and SCIC's Ethical Eats project at 7 pm, May 19, at The Stand.

Planning a Native Plant Garden, May 24 (Regina)Learn how to plan a native plant garden at 7 pm, May 24, with the author of Natural Urban Landscapes: A Guide to Growing Native Plants in Saskatchewan.

Compost Field Day, May 25 (Saskatoon)
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council will host a compost field day in Saskatoon on May 25.

Saskatoon Climate Change Town Hall, May 25 (Saskatoon)
The Saskatoon West federal government riding is hosting a climate change town hall in Saskatoon at 7:30 pm, May 25. Everyone is invited to come and share their ideas to help the Government of Canada develop a plan to address climate change.

Energy Drinks, May 27 (Saskatoon)GRIDS is hosting Energy Drinks, a chance for folks in the renewable energy industry and young people interested in joining the sector to meet and connect, at 7 pm, May 27, at Alexander’s.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Friday, 13 May 2016

Spring and summer are the perfect time to get outside and explore Saskatchewan.

We’ve put together a sampling of outdoor activities from around the province. From admiring the view from a lookout tower in Prince Albert National Park to looking for cacti, learning to paddleboard, or ensuring your kids will be safe on their next outdoor adventure – there’s something for everyone in our list of Spring/Summer Outdoor Explorations in Saskatchewan.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

Native Prairie Appreciation Week Tour, June 16-17Blues, Bats, and Blue Gramma on June 16-17 will be part of this year’s Native Prairie Appreciation Week. The two-day event will include a kids’ discovery tour, plant ID training and quiz, and a local producer tour.

EcoSask News is a weekly round-up of local news and events. Email us if you have items you would like us to include. You can follow EcoFriendly Sask by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

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About

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

EcoFriendly Sask strives to inform, encourage, and support Saskatchewan environmental initiatives. As a small, personal undertaking, we provide an online publication as well as grants to support local environmental projects. The Calendar page lists upcoming events, and we maintain the conversation on Twitter, or like our Facebook.

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $500 to support local projects that will benefit the environment.